


Glimpses of the Seams

by MayQueen517



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: AU, Alison and Vanessa: Jaeger Pilots, F/M, Flynn the OC, Gen, friendship is the best, gen - Freeform, playing fast and loose with canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2014-03-17
Packaged: 2018-01-16 01:24:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1326580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayQueen517/pseuds/MayQueen517
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Drift, Alison thinks, is less about compatibility and more about trust. She's heard that from Tendo and the drift technician who had briefed her and Vanessa earlier in the morning. She hears Tendo's voice over the speaker in the room but doesn't concentrate on the words. Her nerves turn the sound into the roar of blood in her ears.</p><p>Someone touches her shoulder and her eyes open as she looks over to Vanessa seeing the nervous, but bright smile directed at her. Alison can hear Tendo's voice (she wonders how he's so calm about this when it feels like her heart is about to claw it's way out of her chest).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glimpses of the Seams

**Author's Note:**

> This was started sometime back in September after talking with verbosewordsmith about Vanessa and Alison. I made an off-handed comment about wanting them to be Jaeger Pilots and this idea slowly took shape with their help and encouragement.
> 
> Saellys provided a very welcome jump-start to this fic last month and is the reason that this fic did not sit, unfinished, on my computer for another six months.
> 
> So, I want to express my deep and abiding gratitude to my friends for their help and I hope you guys enjoy it! 
> 
> (Title is from the song 'Ballad of Oregon' by River City Extension.)

Shatterdomes are hubs of activity. Equipment and people are everywhere; new muscle strands to replace the old. Jaegers are the stars of any Shatterdome. They are giants in a gargantuan operation; they are the backbone of the entire PPDC and the world. The world has changed and people have had to change with it. Jaegers and their pilots are the saviors of the world and with it comes a new culture and people who want to keep changing the world.

It is, in Alison's mind, sheer fucking poetry. 

"This is absolutely _mental_ ," Vanessa Gottlieb says in admiration, staring up at Chrome Brutus. Alison laughs, taking her tablet out of her bag, nudging Vanessa with her elbow.

"It is, but Chrome Brutus is especially so. Those two will taunt a Kaiju into attacking and then use the plasma on it. Damnedest thing I've ever se-"

Alison looks up when the lights begin to flash and soon, she hears Tendo's voice over the intercom.

"Alright, Icebox, we've got a Cat II proximity alarm tonight. I'm gonna need all non-essential personnel to vacate the Shatterdome floor. Chrome Brutus is up with Lady Danger on the Miracle Mile," Tendo says as Alison tucks her tablet back into her bag and tugs on Vanessa's arm.

"Are you supposed to be working right now?"

"The Lady's going out and she's all loaded up; I'm a free agent right now," Alison says, leading her off the main part of the floor. 

"So what do you do when they go out?" Vanessa asks, digging a hand in the pocket of her jeans. Alison watches her push her curls into a bun, pulling the hair-tie tight. It makes her eyes look even larger and Alison grins suddenly; struck by an idea.

"Usually, I hang out down here. But I've got an idea," Alison says, leading Vanessa into the hallway.

===

The Kwoon is silent. Silent and dim; two women inside circle each other slow and sure. Alison steps lightly, seeing Vanessa mirror the move. A shark-like grin erupts onto her face as she springs forward, stick ready to strike. Alison's meets it in a firm block, feeling the impact in the muscles of her arms.

Vanessa counters her next move and Alison loses herself to footwork and dodging the hanbo. Neither are the best at this but neither of them claim to be. Alison can feel the strange peace settle over her mind, ignoring the sweat that trails down her neck and arms. Vanessa's shirt is soon damp with sweat and they don't stop until the cleared throat at the doorway breaks through to both of them.

Marshal Pentecost is one hell of an imposing man, Alison thinks, blinking away sweat. Vanessa stares over at him and they all stand in silence.

"That was impressive," he says bland, even as Alison wipes her face with her discarded t-shirt. Her tank-top is sticking to her - it's uncomfortable and she thinks to the showers and her husband who might be out of LOCCENT by now. Alison turns her attention back to the Marshall.

"Have either of you thought about drift compatibility?" he asks.

In retrospect, bursting out into horrified laughter at Marshal Stacker Pentecost was not Alison's brightest idea.

===

The room is a little larger than average, not quite a conference room but bigger than her and Tendo's shared quarters. In the middle are two chairs with a pons machine set up between them, squid caps on the back of each chair, waiting for her and Vanessa. On one wall rests two gurneys, just in case, and above the gurneys is a pane of glass. The pane stretches for the entire length of the wall and the room upstairs is where their test results will go. 

It's where Tendo is, spinning from station to station as he sets the parameters for the Drift. Beside him, she can see Marshal Pentecost and Ranger Hansen - she's met him a handful of times when she's traveled with Lady Danger. He's talking to the Marshal, the conversation intense and she sees him fidgeting with a ring on his right hand. Alison takes a deep, shaky breath, exhaling on a ten-count as she stands off to the side.

Vanessa walks in with Hermann, smiling weakly as she holds his hand. Hermann looks angry and worried, leaning on his cane as he watches the two of them. 

"Dr. Gottlieb," Alison says quietly as Hermann gives her a tight smile, murmuring her name in return. He presses a kiss to Vanessa's hand. Alison looks away as Vanessa kisses him on the lips, lingering for a moment. She thinks to her own husband and his lips pressing against hers desperate and searching in the hallway just a few minutes before. Looking up to the glass, she sees Tendo watching her; meeting his eyes, she smiles, mouthing, "I love you," to him as he does the same.

"Ready for this?" Vanessa asks, watching Hermann go to the lift to take him up the stairs into the command center with Tendo and the Marshal.

"Not really; you?"

"Not one bloody fucking bit," she mutters and it startles a laugh out of Alison. A technician comes in, smiling in a soft and pleasant way as she instructs them to sit and helps them figure out the squid caps.

"You think this is gonna work?" Alison asks finally, the question having been on her mind as Vanessa looks over at her. The lights wash her dark skin out but her eyes are bright and curious, lips curving into a smile. 

"Hell yeah," she says. 

The Drift, Alison thinks, is less about compatibility and more about trust. She's heard that from Tendo and the drift technician who had briefed her and Vanessa earlier in the morning. She hears Tendo's voice over the speaker in the room but doesn't concentrate on the words. Her nerves turn the sound into the roar of blood in her ears.

Someone touches her shoulder and her eyes open as she looks over to Vanessa seeing the nervous, but bright smile directed at her. Alison can hear Tendo's voice (she wonders how he's so calm about this when it feels like her heart is about to claw it's way out of her chest).

"Initiating Drift Test one in three, two, one."

_Light and noise. Laughter, kissing, her husband - no, my husband. Our husbands. Vanessa as a young girl, swimming in the ocean. Alison, up to her elbows in the guts of the car. A flash of skin against skin and a blurry tattoo. Terror, so much terror. A phone call in the middle of the night and then. Dancing with Tendo, kissing Hermann. Love. Adrenaline surging through her gut - who's gut is it? Who's thrill is this? Theater greasepaint, performing, applause. Home. Cold lips and a grin. Warm hands. Stick striking against stick, the smell of the Kwoon._

Alison gasps - or is it Vanessa who gasps? Dual feelings of wonder and the feeling of knowing someone is right beside you without ever turning to look at them. Trust rings across the space between both women.

"Right and left hemisphere calibrated, neural handshake holding strong," Tendo's voice says, pride in his voice. Alison beams up at him, feeling Vanessa's amusement and fondness - or is it her own affection for Tendo that Vanessa must be feeling? - as the pons begins to shut down. The test is over and Alison wants to mourn it's loss as she and Vanessa slowly disconnect from one another.

"That was-"

"Amazing and-"

"Perfect!" Vanessa enthuses, her beaming grin met by Alison's own as the door opens and technicians start flooding in.

===

Over the next three weeks, they train. They train for as long as they can or until Alison gets called down to the floor of the Shatterdome for a consult. She barely sees Tendo but Alison's fairly certain that's less of her schedule and more of his. He comes to watch them train when he can, Hermann at his side, watching as Marshal Pentecost guides them through the stances.

Sometimes another Jaeger pilot is in with them, observing how they spar and helps them to train. Today it's Ranger Hansen leading them, laughing with them when one or both of them mess up. They haven't been through the Jaeger academy and Alison wonders if it's obvious.

They're taking a break, Hermann and Tendo sitting off to the side. The Kwoon echoes with their heaving breaths as Alison and Vanessa fall back against the mats in unison. Ranger Hansen laughs as he leans against the hanbo.

"You two might not have formal training," Hansen says, wiping his face and neck off. He tosses them each a fresh towel, "but the Marshall's right; you're naturals."

"Well," Vanessa says breathless, hair spilling behind her as she dries her neck off. "I suppose that's bloody reassuring," she says as Alison laughs. She sits up and looks over to Tendo, meeting his eyes with a grin and waggled eyebrows. He winks at her as she accepts Hansen's hand to help her up before she helps Vanessa to her feet.

"Ranger Han-"

"Herc. For the love of God, stop calling me Ranger Hansen," he says taking their hanbo staves and putting them against the wall.

Alison snorts, "Okay, then, Herc," she says, shaking her head for a moment. "Do you think we're at a disadvantage because we haven't been through the academy?"

"What coupling should you use on a Mark 3 nuclear core housing?" he responds immediately, meeting her eyes as Vanessa looks between them.

"Flexible J-40 coupling. One that changes easy and quick," she says, watching him.

Herc nods to himself, looking to Vanessa, "Why should that blade on your machine be a last resort?"

"Doesn't cauterize the wound. Increases the spread of Kaiju Blue," she says, surprise on her face as she and Alison stand side by side. Herc gives them a smile, holding his hands out.

"There are some ways you could benefit, but disadvantage? Nah," he says, tossing his hand up in a wave as he steps out of the Kwoon. 

Vanessa and her share a look as Tendo stands, walking over to wrap his arms around Alison's waist, burying his face in her neck. 

"Dinner?" he asks once he lifts his head,. Vanessa groans, leaning against Hermann, nodding. 

"Immediately," she says dramatically as Hermann laughs. It's one of the only times Alison can remember seeing him laugh as they leave the Kwoon. She and Vanessa lead the way, talking about training until Tendo changes the subject. Vanessa grins at Hermann, holding his hand; Alison smiles at them as Tendo commandeers one of the back tables for the four of them.

Dinner is nice. Dinner with the four of them is even nicer, Alison thinks, combing through the hair at the base of Tendo's neck with light fingers. He's leaning into her a little more and she knows that the shift must have been one that was full of nothing but waiting. Those always leave him tense and worried - as if he's waiting even through the night. She wraps her arm around his chest, pulling his back against her chest as Vanessa tells them about when she was modeling.

"So, here I am, on this runway, right?" she says as Hermann makes a neat grab for her glass to keep her from knocking it over with her elbow. She winks at him, grinning, "I'm up there and I can't actually see the edge of the runway. I turn, flounce the dress like I'm supposed to and immediately fall off of the stage. I ended up in a few laps and it was the worst moment of my career," she says, laughing. Alison snorts, shaking her head.

"What'd you trip on?"

"On air, I'm told," Vanessa says with a loud snort, taking her wine glass back from Hermann, giving him a soft kiss. 

"Oh, that's nothing," Tendo says, sitting up and away from her as he warms up to the story that Alison knows without a doubt he's going to tell. "Alison and I, we've been together a few years, yeah?" 

Vanessa grins, nodding as Alison rolls her eyes, sharing a grin with Vanessa.

"And those Mark 2s, see, they get this build-up on the synapses something awful; you remember Doc," Tendo says as Hermann nods. Alison shoots an apologetic grin Hermann's way. She gets an amused eye-roll in response as Tendo continues, looking over at her. "I'm down on the floor, making my rounds, as you have to when-"

"You're a busybody like Tendo," she says, laughing as he elbows her. 

"When you're head of J-Tech, as I was saying," he says, leaning into her with a grin. "So I'm down there, looking over progress and what-not. And I hear this loud cursing that just echoes. So I look up and there she is. Covered in grease, hair falling out of her bandanna and the words that came out of her mouth would have made a sailor blush. And that was the first time I met her."

"I wasn't that bad," she says as Tendo laughs. He slides his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her temple. 

"I'm pretty sure the words 'You fucking drunk piece of shit with dick for brains, don't you ever cross my motherfucking couplings again,' were what came out of your mouth."

"Okay, so maybe I was that bad," Alison says, making Vanessa snort into Hermann's shoulder. Hermann cants his eyes at her, a fond expression that Alison remembers from her and Vanessa's test-Drift. 

"I seem to remember a certain someone who was rather well-known for her use of profanities," Hermann says, canting his eyes over to Vanessa. Vanessa grins, waving him off playfully.

Alison snorts as Vanessa and Hermann begin to bicker affectionately. Tendo curls his hand around hers, their rings clinking against each other as they share a grin, listening to the Gottliebs.

===

Vesta Nebulae is not a new Jaeger nor are they an old one; they have been pieced together from old and new parts. New feet, able to grab the ground and plant itself to be more in line with how she and Vanessa fight. Old arms and muscle strands from Jaegers down in Oblivion Bay. Alison thinks their Jaeger is now a bit like all those still in the Jaeger program. Vanessa wraps her arms around Alison from behind, hugging her close. They stare up at the machine wheeling into a bay, fresh from Australia but all theirs.

Australia's the only Shatterdome left with manufacturing capabilities, Alison remembers as she stares up at their Jaeger. Vesta Nebulae has brought together much like herself and Vanessa and the symmetry there brings a warm glow to her chest. The lights to the bay for Vesta dim, saving as much power as possible as Vanessa tucks her head into Alison's neck. It's not comfortable, per se, Alison thinks, leaning back. Vanessa is almost four and a half inches taller than Alison but there's something reassuring about her weight and warmth. Familiar, in the months since they've begun to train together.

"You ready to take her out tomorrow?" 

"Her? Why not him?"

"Why not both?" Vanessa asks as Alison hums in thought, leaning her cheek back to press against Vanessa's.

"I can't wait to be out there in them, you know?" Alison says as Vanessa squeezes her, head tilting as she huffs out a laugh.

"Me either. Think we can shave off a few extra seconds off of that neural handshake?" Vanessa asks, standing as she meets Alison's eyes in a challenge. Alison laughs, knocking their elbows together, making their way to the Kwoon. It's familiar now; the scents and feeling of stepping into the doorway and putting their shoes away.

They wait in a corner of the room, each grabbing a staff from the wall, watching Herc and Chuck sparring. They came up with Vesta, all bright laughter and Vanessa and Chuck antagonizing each other while Herc rolled his eyes fondly. Alison watches them move and can't help but compare it to how she and Vanessa move with and around each other.

Chuck is vicious, going for dirty moves with his teeth clenched in challenge. Herc is the calm balance to every bit of rage thrumming through Chuck's body. He counters each move solidly, planting himself and he never once chases Chuck. They move in short, sharp motions - brawler style, Alison remembers Tendo saying (referring more to the Beckets but watching the Hansens spar now, it seems fairly fitting). They are practiced at countering one another before they knock their sticks together sharply as an end to their match.

Breathing hard with sweat dripping from their foreheads, Alison watches the intense sneer on Chuck's face fade. It is now less confrontational and more expectation. Herc laughs roughly, reaching out to cuff the back of Chuck's head in affection as Chuck grouses, ducking the hand as they share a quick laugh. It's practiced and easy in a single move, Alison thinks.

Alison's never seen Chuck so unguarded and when Vanessa drapes an arm around her, she can't bring herself to look away. Herc sees them first, smiling as he and Chuck put the sticks away.

"Just come back from seeing your Vesta?" Herc asks, grinning as Vanessa launches into conversation about Vesta's attributes. Alison grins, jabbing an elbow out at Chuck as he feints left, his sharp laugh echoing through the Kwoon. She and Vanessa had gotten to know both of the Hansens while in Australia to have Vesta's plans finalized. While Chuck isn't one Alison's favorite people, she understands him more than she would like. Alison's sparred with Chuck twice before - and twice was enough. After mutual bloodied noses (and no hard feelings), she might not always like Chuck but she respects the pilot that he is.

"Vesta's perfect," Alison says as Herc shakes their hands, nodding. Chuck's already walking off and Alison watches Herc catch up to him, moving to toss an arm around Chuck's shoulders. Alison winces as Chuck shrugs it off, taking a step to the side. 

She doesn't presume to understand what goes on in their Jaeger (or in their heads) but even she can see the tension between them. Alison puts it out of her mind and turns back to Vanessa. She picks out a staff that feels right, as if it had been carved for her hands and she grins at Vanessa.

Vanessa beams before she lunges forward, going for her favorite strike. It's an overhead strike, one that gives her an advantage because of her height. Alison is already used to ducking under and tapping their staves together. There's a sense of already drifting, that they've done it before and are preparing to do it again.

Alison loses herself in the match, not bothering to keep score. It's not about scoring but about learning each other. Soon, they'll get exhausted and flop to the floor of the Kwoon, laughing breathlessly until Tendo and Hermann come to collect them for dinner.

But for now, Alison bares her teeth and hisses when one block causes her hands to sting for a moment. She lunges and loses herself to what will one day be a strong, true Drift in their Jaeger.

===

It's the late afternoon when the Kaiju Proximity Alert goes off. Alison's shoving her feet into a pair of Tendo's old combat boots as her door wrenches open. Vanessa stands there with flushed cheeks and a bright grin. Her hair is everywhere and Alison knocks fists with her as they bound out of the room and through the hallway.

It's their first solo alert - their first alert that doesn't involve them watching the Miracle Mile. It's special and their crew seems to think so too as Alison removes her rings and puts them on the chain with her dog-tags. They clank together until they hit the black rubber silencer that comes standard and sits flush against Alison's chest. They bolt both her and Vanessa into their drive-suits with warm smiles. 

"You ready?" Flynn asks, their customary bright grin even wider than before. They've been a permanent fixture in Alison and Vanessa's crew since they had the naming ceremony for Vesta Nebulae ("Fucking awesome!" Flynn had enthused, bumping fists with every available person as Tendo laughed and grabbed Alison in a searing kiss). 

"Does a Kaiju shit wherever it wants?" Vanessa asks as their crew cracks up. Alison grins broadly over at Vanessa. They high-five carefully, avoiding damage to the drivesuits. It's their ritual and the thump of her rings and dog-tags against her breastbone are grounding as they walk to their Conn-Pod.

She knows that in LOCCENT her husband's going to be watching their vital signs with a hawk-like intensity. He'll know that she's shit-scared and full of white-hot excitement. He'll know that she can feel Vanessa's anticipation in a theory of what ghost-drifting might feel like. But she hopes he knows that she'd have nobody else manning those controls.

"He knows," Vanessa says quietly as they fit their feet into the plate, a smile on her face. Alison wonders if Hermann will be standing in the back, fretting for his own wife.

"Yours too," Alison murmurs, meeting Vanessa's eyes. They share a grin before Tendo's voice echoes through the Conn-Pod.

"Good afternoon, lovely ladies of Vesta Nebulae; this is your Captain speaking-"

"Captain?" Alison says through spluttered laughter.

"Who gave that bloody order?" Vanessa asks over her as Tendo starts laughing.

"Ah, it was worth a shot," Tendo says as Alison shakes her head. "I've got a Cat-III on my radar for you ladies to cut your teeth on that we're calling Hammerjaw. Not my first pick, but hey, that's the way it goes. Should be a piece of cake this afternoon, ladies. Marshall Pentecost on deck."

"Rangers, you are to engage the Kaiju Hammerjaw in open water. We are going to attempt to minimize any damage at the docks, understood?" Pentecost says, voice calm and collected as Alison looks over at Vanessa, sharing a nod.

"Yes, sir. Who's maintaining the Miracle Mile?" Alison asks, keying in the coordinates as the sounds of LOCCENT filter through. She can hear the rhythmic tapping that means nothing to her but everything to Vanessa from Hermann near Tendo's mic. Pentecost taps the mic once before he speaks.

"Nova Hyperion's agreed to provide support for this outing," Pentecost says as Vanessa and Alison whoop and bump fists.

"Vesta, you're dropping in 5," Tendo says. Alison closes her eyes and fervently remembers the last time she kissed Tendo; soft lips in a warm bed with laughter between them. She allows herself the five seconds to think about him and remember the morning and knows that Vanessa is thinking of Hermann.

Nearly a year in the making and the drift is still as smooth as it was the first time.

_Morse code from his cane. Her smile from beneath her hair. Alison in the guts of a Jaeger - of our Jaeger. Alison pressed against the wall by Tendo or is it Vanessa and Hermann? Does it matter? Hands and lips and love. Love all around, love for friends and family. Protection and knowing not to fail. Won't fail, can't fail, this is it. LOCCENT and heart-lines, laugh-lines, fault-lines, a fissure in the ocean. Finally: Home. Laugh, love, life, home; Vesta._

"Left hemisphere; calibrated," Alison says.

"Right hemisphere; calibrated. Vesta Nebulae is ready to go, LOCCENT."

They're synced in the span of a few breaths, part of each others minds. There's a double drum-beat in Alison's chest that's Vanessa's own heart-beat layered over her own. Alison feels Vanessa's hands go up into a block with her own and Vesta echoes them as Tendo's voice anchors them in the present.

"Ten minutes to the drop, Vesta; see you when you return," he says, the last half careful and measured. Alison's chest aches and Vanessa reaches a hand out without ever moving as Alison clears her throat.

"I expect to see you on the tarmac, Mr. Choi."

"That's a promise I think I can keep," Tendo says softly as the Marshall clears his throat. Vanessa reminds Alison that it isn't a reprimand with a quick thought. As they're lifted to the drop-zone, they spend the ten precious minutes forming a strategy. 

"Let's get this bastard," Vanessa says, chipper and ruthless as they disengage. They land with a splash and Alison forgets everything that isn't fighting to save a city.

Hammerjaw isn't fast but he's powerful. A swing of his head (so aptly named 'Hammerjaw' that Alison knows she's going to have to make fun of Tendo for it) nearly takes them off their feet. Vanessa lets loose with a curse so violent that Alison isn't sure who it came from. Alison grits her teeth and drops the shoulder of Vesta to ram the Kaiju as hard as Vesta can. 

It hurts and she can feel something in her shoulder burning and aching. Vanessa crows in triumph when it buys them enough time to empty their plasma cannon into the creature. The roar that Hammerjaw lets loose at the blast is something that Alison will hear in her dreams. The thread of comfort she gets from Vanessa is the only acknowledgement of the same.

"It's not going down," Vanessa says, dismayed as the Kaiju circles around, weaving; down but not out, it seems.

"LOCCENT, this asshole's tough. Can the helicopters see anything?" Alison says, thumbing the comm button. She can hear the bustle of LOCCENT and it's familiar and soothing to both her and Vanessa.

"Stay on guard and I'll let you know, Vesta," Tendo says, the clacking of keys around him almost drowning his voice out.

"We've gotta get him out into open water," Vanessa says suddenly, even before Alison's aware of the spark of an idea from her copilot. 

"Look, short of dragging it, he's not goin-you are seriously suggesting that we drag it back out into open water," Alison says, staring at Vanessa who grins brightly.

"Yep," she says, popping her 'p' as Alison tracks the plan taking place between them. It's nothing she would have considered - too risky to attempt dragging the Kaiju somewhere else - but she can see where Vanessa's idea has the best merit.

"LOCCENT, we're dragging him to open water," Vanessa says as Alison grimaces even as she grabs onto the Kaiju by a limp arm - limb? _Newt would know_ , Vanessa thinks fondly as Alison snorts to herself. 

_Of course, Newt would know_ , Alison thinks as the Kaiju jerks away from them. It's startling to feel the hide of the Kaiju but even more startling to feel it jerk away, struggling to escape.

"Vesta, choppers are reading a weak spot on the left side of the Kaiju. Hit it with a cannon blast and you should have it," Tendo says as Vanessa yells in annoyance when the Kaiju slips free. It readies itself for another charge to take them off their feet as Alison grits her teeth.

"Fuck this," she growls, readying the cannon, nodding sharply to Vanessa. Vanessa holds them steady as Alison empties the entirety of the clip into the Kaiju right as he hits them. 

Nothing in the simulator could have prepared her for the impact of Hammerjaw. Her teeth rattle in her head and she knows that Vanessa feels the same. The last thing Alison remembers before blacking out is Vanessa's groaned laugh and Tendo's panicking voice.

And then nothing.

=

Alison wakes up, curled around Vanessa, with her face buried in a mass of curls that, while soft, could definitely stand a wash.

"You, I might add, are no spring chicken yourself," Vanessa mumbles into Alison's collarbone. Alison blinks awake, laughing roughly. Her back feels tender and there's something numb in her left arm but she's alive and so is Vanessa.

"Scale of one to ten, how pissed are our husbands?"

"Zero, if they know what's good for them," Vanessa mutters as Alison snickers. The two burst out laughing in the middle of the bed, clutching each other. Alison isn't sure what arm belongs to hers but when the door opens and she sees Tendo and Hermann, she knows whose heart jumps in delight.

"I'm obligated to tell you that when you leave this room, you're to report to the Marshall's office for a debrief. You did well," Tendo says as Alison grumbles while Vanessa arranges herself to make room for Hermann.

"Quit fussing, grumpypants," Vanessa says as they press their backs together. It isn't comfortable for them ( _but better for Hermann_ , Alison thinks. Vanessa agrees quietly, grateful and pleased in the same thought) but she can feel their minds slowly settling back into their own heads. Tendo laughs and wraps his arms around them all as best he can; something that Tendo's always been good at, Alison thinks muzzily as Vanessa snickers. Hermann holds himself stiffly before Alison reaches over and pats his hand. His skin is cold but he doesn't seem to mind; he taps two fingers to the back of her hand in response.

"I'll fuss all I like. Get comfortable because I don't think we're moving for a while," Alison says, pinned between Vanessa and Tendo. She can smell Tendo's pomade and it smells like home - _like the Drift_ , Vanessa thinks suddenly as Alison presses her lips to Tendo's jawline. 

"It's to be expected," Hermann says, a tentative hand resting on Alison's arm from around Vanessa. His other hand gently combs through Vanessa's curls as though to reassure himself. "First Drifts in a Jaeger are intense," he says. Alison knows from Vanessa's own fond thoughts that he's readying percentages and statistics about first Drifts. Alison feels more than sees Vanessa stretch her head up to press a kiss to Hermann's lips.

Tendo watches her, smiling softly as he rests their foreheads together. His hair is getting messed up (and getting pomade all over her pillow) but neither of them care as he sighs to himself. 

"Scale of one to ten, how was the fight?" Alison asks as Tendo lets out a short laugh.

"Well, I now owe Hermann ten bucks since you were the first to ask but it was good enough that Newt's pitching a fit because you decapitated the Kaiju."

"Oh, well, next time I'll run it by him when a Kaiju is charging us," Alison says as Vanessa's shoulders start shaking. Alison grins at Tendo who snorts. "Also, Hammerjaw? You smartass," she says as Vanessa lets out a peal of laughter.

Alison feels Vanessa covering her mouth, trying to muffle the sound as Tendo grins at her.

"I call 'em like I see 'em."

"I guess it _was_ better than Meathead," Alison says. Vanessa's laughter grows contagious as she kisses Tendo softly, a laugh shared between them. It's like coming home - like peace after a long day. 

She sighs and revels in the contentment of it.

===

The Shatterdome floor is never silent; not even at three in the morning. She stands with Vanessa, staring up at Vesta with a tight feeling in her chest. Her shoulder aches after the feedback from Vesta in response to tackling the Kaiju. Vanessa's hand is warm where it's curled around her own. 

"Think they look different?"

"I think they look perfect," Vanessa says, resting a hand on one dirty foot of Vesta as Alison follows suit. Both she and Vanessa will be in harnesses tomorrow, checking Vesta over for every scrape and ding. They'll inspect every new mark from Hammerjaw and decide what Vesta will wear proudly.

But for now, they walk hand-in-hand back to their husbands with Vesta watching over their Shatterdome.

**Author's Note:**

> You're welcome to come chat with me on [tumblr](http://mayqueen517.tumblr.com) \- My askbox is always open!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [For The Moment](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1622060) by [hauntedjaeger (saellys)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saellys/pseuds/hauntedjaeger)




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